Restraining device



Aug. 15, 1933. E A, HAGA 1,923,001

' RESTRAINING DEVICE Filed May 26, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 Shets-Sheet 2 E. A. HAGA RESTRAINING DEVICE Flled May 26 1931 Aug. 15, 1933.

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Patented Aug. 15, 1933 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE RESTRAINING DEVICE") Elizabeth A. Haga, Berwyn, Ill.,. assignor to Earnshaw Knitting Company, Newton, Mass., a Corporation of Massachusetts Application May 20, 1931. Serial No. 540,070 8 Claims. (01. 128134) This invention relates to a restraining device for use on infants and children when it is desirable to restrict their movements.

Devices of this character are frequently used for the purpose of preventing infants and young children from falling out of cribs, beds'or chairs and thereby injuring themselves and the main object of the invention is the provision of a simple device of this character which will prevent injury to the child.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device which will not impose any strain upon the neck of the wearer nor cause any chafing or irritation of the skin to an infant or child which is extremely tender and sensitive and easily chafed.

Further objects are to avoid the use of pins or buttons in securing the device on the infant and to produce a device which is easily applied and of a low cost.

Other objects will be more specifically pointedout and described hereinafter. v

The invention resides in certain novel parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the appended claims. 7

My invention contemplates a device made of textile material comprising an elongated body portion having a central neck opening for receiving the head of the infant, the'two ends of the body portion being folded down flat over the front and back of the body of the infant. Preferably, the neck opening is elongated longitudinally the said body portion whereby the side portions its principle, Figure l is a front elevation of the preferred form of the device showing the position of the respective parts wheniput on an infant; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device in fiat condition; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of the device and Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2 of said modified form.

Referring to the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, 10 and 12 indicate two semi-waist bands connected together of the latter between its side edges and the'nec'k' by two elongated bands 14 and 16'. The two latter bands' are of restricted width midway, the width of each expanding toward the two-waist bands, which gives a neck opening 15 midway between the-waist bands. The two bands 14 and 16 serve as shoulder bands or straps and are permanently secured at their respective ends to the waist bands, preferably in overlapping arrangement, bythe edge stitching 18 used for finishing the edges of the said waist bands. For finishing 5 the edges of the shoulder bands, a binding 20 may be employed and secured in place by stitching 22.

For fastening the restraining device on the body'of an infant or child, it is first placed on the child with the head projecting through the opening 15 and the waist band 10 is then arranged at the waist line on the front of the body and the waist band 12 at the back. The shoulder bands are laid smoothly over the shoulders of the 7 child and then the adjacent '-ends of the waist bands are fastened together by means of tapes. These tapes "may be arranged in any suitable manner "andone such arrangement is shown in which each of the two waist bands has secured at each end a tape 24 and one of the waist bands is provided in addition at each end with a tape loop 26. In fastening the device the two tapes on the waist band- 10 are passed through the respective loops 26 on the band 12 and all four tapes 24 are then tied to two opposite fixed portions of the bed or crib'in which the child is placed. If desired to secure a tighter fit of the waist bands about the body, the tapes may be knotted to the loops but generally it will be found suitable for all purposes merely to pass the tapes through the loops without knotting.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 3 and 4, the two semi-waist bands 30 and 31 are joined together by abody portion having a central longitudinal neck opening 32 which divides that portion into two shoulder bands or straps 33 and 34.

The waist bands are secured to the body portion by stitching 35 and the edges of the neck opening and the sides of the device are finished with a binding 36. The tapes are of the same construction as in the first form, the ends of the waist band 30 have each a tape loop 38 and a tape 39 and the band 31 has tapes 40.

My device may be made from any suitable material either woven or knitted but preferably the semi-waist bands should be of firm material 1 which will not roll or stretch to any material extent. Both the waist bands and shoulder bands around the waist of the infant or child. If the device is used for preventing the wearer from falling from a crib or bed, the tapes fastened to fixed parts of the crib or bed should be sufiicient ly slack to permit of turning in either direction but not to permit crawling or rolling to the edge of the crib or bed. If the device is used for keeping a child in a baby carriage or chair 'thefastening tapes should have little or no slack so as to limit the movement of the body at the waist line, the upper and lower parts of the body being freely. movable.

It will be observed that outside of restriction of movement of the torso, my device does not affect the freedom of movement of other parts of the body and-does not, because of the use of relatively wide bands, apply any restrictive pres sure on the neck and shoulders of the infant. or at the waist line; It, therefore, does not inflict any discomfort on the, wearer and yet adequate;- ly protects it from harm. a I v It is tobeunderstood that myinvention is not to be limited to the forms herein shown and de-x scribed but may be embodied in other forms within the scope of thefollowing claims.

WhatIclaim is: r 1 1.'A device of the character described of textile material comprising a pair of relatively wide semi-waist bands, a pair of relatively wide shoulder bands connecting said waist bands and tapes secured to the ends of said waist bands forfastening the adjacent ends of said waist bands together and for fastening the device between fixed I supports.

2. A device of the character described of textile material oomprising a pairofrelatively wide semi-waist bands, a pair of relatively wide shoulder bands, intermediate said waist bands and connecting the same and tapes secured one. to each end of said Waist bands for fastening the device between waist supports, one of said waist bands having a tape loop on each end through which the tape on the adjacent end of the other band is passed to hold the adjacent ends of said waist bands together.

3. A device of the character described of textile material comprising a pair of relatively wide semi-waist bands for the front and back of the wearer, a body portion connecting said waist bands and provided with a neck opening and adapted to go over the shoulders of the wearer and tapes for fastening the adjacent ends of said waist bands together 1 on each side of the boclypand for securing said device on both sides to fixed parts of the bed or the like in which the wearer is to be held.

4. A device of the character described of textile material comprising an elongated body portion having a central longitudinal neck opening, the side portions of said body portion serving as shoulder bands, a transverse end band secured to each end of said body portion and tapemeans for fastening said end bands around the waist of the body of an infant or child and to a fixed part of the bed or the like in which the infant or child is placed.

5. A device of the character described of textile material comprising two end bands adapted to fit the body at the waist line, one in front and the other in back, a pair of relatively wide bands connecting said end bands and. serving as shoulder straps; said end bands being provided at each end with tapes for fastening the adjacent ends of said bands together on each side of the body and for fastening the device to a suitable support to restrict the movements of the wearer.

6. A device of the character described comprising a rectangular body portion of textile fabric having a central longitudinal neck opening, the side portions'of said body being adapted to serve as shoulder, bands, anda transverse' band of textile material secured by stitching to each end of said body portion; said transverse bands being provided with end tapes for fastening said device to a fixed support for limiting the movement of the wearer. v r I 7. A device of the character described comprising a rectangular body portion of textile fabric having a central longitudinal neck opening, those portions of said body between the side; edges thereof and said neck opening being-adapted to serve as shoulderbands, and a transverse semiwaist band of textile materialstitched to each 'end of said body portion, said transverse bands having their ends extended beyond said body portion and provided with end tapes for fastening the adjacent ends of said bands together on each sideof the body and for fastening the device to a suitable support to restrict the movements of the wearer. a I 8. A device of the character described comprising a rectangular body portion of textilematerial having a central longitudinalneck opening; those portions of said body between the side edges thereof andsaid neck opening being relatively wide and adapted to serve as shoulder bands; and a relatively wide transverse semiwaistband of-textile material stitched toeach end of said body-portion, said transverse bands being provided with end tapes for fastening said device to a fixed support for restricting the move ment of the wearer. I

1 ELIZABETH A. HAGA. 

